Case Study: American Geotechnical Inc. Pinpoints Structural Failures with Golden Software’s Surfer

Geotechnical Firm Pinpoints Causes of Structural Failures With Surfer Visualizations

American Geotechnical Inc., a California-based geotechnical engineering and material testing firm, investigates subtle building problems such as sticking doors or separating windows that can signal serious structural issues beneath a slab. To better understand these failures, the team uses Golden Software’s Surfer to visualize deflections and soil-related movement around residential and commercial structures.

With Golden Software’s Surfer, American Geotechnical imports elevation and moisture data to create 3D wireframe, contour, and gradient maps that help engineers pinpoint whether swelling soil, poor drainage, or erosion is causing the slab to tilt, dome, or warp. The resulting maps support final engineering recommendations and are polished enough to be used in client presentations and legal testimony, improving the firm’s forensic analysis and courtroom credibility.

American Geotechnical Inc.

Manuel Simbulan

Technical Illustrator/CAD Designer